facebookhttp://www.maximumpc.com/taxonomy/term/1118/
enMicrosoft Removing Google Chat and Facebook from Outlook.comhttp://www.maximumpc.com/microsoft_removing_google_chat_and_facebook_outlookcom_2015
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u166440/outlook_logo.jpg" alt="Outlook logo" title="Outlook logo" width="200" height="199" style="float: right;" />Nothing but Skype from here on out</h3>
<p>For those who use Outlook.com, they will have to rely on Skype for all of their communication needs. In an email to its users, <strong>Microsoft announced that it will be removing Facebook and Google Chat from Outlook.com</strong>. It is a move that is unsurprising given how much Microsoft has invested in Skype.</p>
<p>"Within the next couple of weeks, we will be discontinuing support for Facebook Chat in Outlook.com. And due to Google's decision to discontinue the chat protocol used by the Google Talk platform, we can no longer provide Google Chat in Outlook.com," reads an email from the company. "We understand that this may disappoint some of our customers, but we hope that you'll try Skype for Outlook.com chat, and video and voice calling, so you can take advantage of the more robust ways to keep in touch with friends and family."</p>
<p>Microsoft went on to say that this will not affect users’ connection to their Facebook or Google accounts. This means that users’ People page and the People apps will continue to be updated with the latest contact information from those services.</p>
<p>Whether the removal of these two services will cause Outlook.com users to go elsewhere, rather than use Skype, remains to be seen.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But do you use Outlook.com and does the removal of Facebook Chat and Google Chat matter to you? Let us know in the comments below!</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/microsoft_removing_google_chat_and_facebook_outlookcom_2015#commentsfacebookFacebook ChatGoogleGoogle ChatmicrosoftOutlookoutlook.comNewsFri, 27 Feb 2015 01:23:23 +0000Sean D Knight29485 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook Will Begin Posting Targeted Amber Alertshttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_will_begin_posting_targeted_amber_alerts_2015
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/fb_amber_alert.jpg" alt="Facebook AMBER Alert" title="Facebook AMBER Alert" width="228" height="217" style="float: right;" />The modern day milk carton</h3>
<p>At last count (September 2014), Facebook was sitting pretty with 864 million daily active users, and 1.35 billion monthly active users (as of September 30, 2014). With so many eyeballs zeroing in on the world's largest social playground each and every day, <strong>Facebook and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children hope the site can help find missing children through targeted AMBER Alerts</strong>.</p>
<p>As part of the effort, AMBER Alerts will appear in people's News Feeds in specific search areas after a child has been abducted and the National Center has issued an alert. The posts will include photographs and other details about the missing child, which will be shown on desktop and mobile devices. And like other posts, you'll be able to share the alert, as well as link directly to the National Center's missing child poster containing the most up-to-date information, Facebook says.</p>
<p>"We know the chances of finding a missing child increase when more people are on the lookout, especially in the critical first hours. Our goal is to help get these alerts out quickly to the people who are in the best position to help," Emily Vacher, Trust and Safety Manger for Facebook, said in a <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/01/introducing-amber-alerts-on-facebook/" target="_blank">blog post</a>.</p>
<p>This is something that Facebook says has worked on multiple occasions in the past, just not on an official basis. For example, in 2014 an 11-year-old girl was safely recovered after a motel owner recognized her from an AMBER Alert that a friend had shared on Facebook.</p>
<p>Law enforcement will determine the range of the target area for each alert -- it's estimated that, depending on location, users will see between "a few [AMBER Alerts] each year" down to none at all. They'll appear in the News Feed, but won't trigger notifications to a user's phone.</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_will_begin_posting_targeted_amber_alerts_2015#commentsamber alertsfacebookSocial NetworksNewsTue, 13 Jan 2015 17:34:03 +0000Paul Lilly29249 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook Puts Thought into "Dislike" and “Sympathize” Buttonshttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_puts_thought_dislike_and_%E2%80%9Csympathize%E2%80%9D_buttons_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/facebook_sign.jpg" alt="Facebook Sign" title="Facebook Sign" width="228" height="152" style="float: right;" />Does Facebook need more buttons?</h3>
<p>Just about anyone who's ever used Facebook has wished for a "Dislike" button at one point or another. Unless you're willing to rid your Friends list of all your friends, family, and co-workers, then you've seen an inane post that made you question how well you really know Uncle Bob or your buddy Bill. Or maybe someone posted a spoiler to The Sons of Anarchy's series finale. Well, the good news is <strong>Facebook is at least "thinking about" a dislike button</strong>. The bad news? A "sympathize" button is more likely to appear.</p>
<p>This is a topic that Zuckerberg's probably addressed a million times behind the scenes, though now that he's holding public Q&amp;A sessions, you can bet it's one of the things people inevitably ask about. Such was the case during Zuckerberg's second time fielding questions from the general populace.</p>
<p>"We're thinking about it," Zuckerberg replied to a question about adding a dislike button, though he's cautious it could cause more harm than good.</p>
<p>"I don't think there needs to be a voting mechanism on Facebook, whether posts are good are bad," Zuckerberg added. "I don't think that's socially very valuable or good for the community. But the thing that I think is very valuable is that there are more sentiments that people want to express than just positivity or that they like something."</p>
<p>One of those sentiments popped up in reports a year ago, that sentiment being a "sympathize" button. It's one of many that could appear on the site before or in place of a dislike button.</p>
<p>You can catch the 1-hour Q&amp;A session by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=846549162069527" target="_blank">going here</a>.</p>
<p>Image Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwichary/7531815092" target="_blank">Flickr (Marcin Wichary)</a></p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_puts_thought_dislike_and_%E2%80%9Csympathize%E2%80%9D_buttons_2014#commentsfacebookmark zuckerbergsocial networkNewsFri, 12 Dec 2014 16:14:51 +0000Paul Lilly29081 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook May Launch a Social Network for Working Professionalshttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_may_launch_social_network_working_professionals_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/facebook_tie.jpg" alt="Facebook Tie" title="Facebook Tie" width="228" height="133" style="float: right;" />Does the world need another LinkedIn?</h3>
<p>The web already has a social network for professionals -- it's called LinkedIn, perhaps you've heard of it? You can bet that Mark Zuckerberg has, and apparently he's a bit envious. How so? <strong>Facebook is reportedly working in secret on a new social website called "Facebook at Work,"</strong> which appropriately enough is aimed at working professionals with special tools and features for collaborating on projects.</p>
<p>Citing people familiar with the matter, the <a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/db8722bc-6d10-11e4-b125-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3JLHLERfP" target="_blank"><em>Financial Times</em> says</a> the new site will allow users to chat with colleagues, connect with other professionals, collaborate over documents, and more. Not only will it be competing with LinkedIn, but also Google Drive and Microsoft Office.</p>
<p>The site itself will look similar to Facebook and contain some of the same elements, like a newsfeed and groups. However, it will let users separate their personal profile from their professional one.</p>
<p>FT's sources say Facebook employees have been using the site for a long time now. The topic of expanding it to other companies is one that comes up fairly often, and gained momentum last year. It's now being tested with companies in preparation for a wide scale launch.</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_may_launch_social_network_working_professionals_2014#commentsfacebookfacebook for worksocial networkNewsMon, 17 Nov 2014 16:35:18 +0000Paul Lilly28943 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook Updates Privacy Policy Using Plain Languagehttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_updates_privacy_policy_using_plain_language_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/facebook_privacy_0.jpg" alt="Facebook Privacy" title="Facebook Privacy" width="228" height="153" style="float: right;" />Understanding the fine print without the legalese</h3>
<p>Our legal system being what it is, things like terms and conditions are often spelled out in legalese that are long, boring, and sometimes difficult to understand. It's the reason most people don't bother to read EULAs and other fine print. Would you have guessed that Facebook would be the one do things differently? Ironic, considering that Facebook is often criticized for privacy policies. Nevertheless, <strong>Facebook today introduced Privacy Basics, a plain language interpretation of its privacy rules</strong>, along with tips and a how-to guide to make sure things are the way you want them to be.</p>
<p>The new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/about/basics" target="_blank">Privacy Basics section</a> uses bigger size text, colorful pictures, and easy-to-understand language to outline the social network's various privacy policies and controls. It includes tutorials on untagging, unfriending, blocking, and how to choose an audience for your posts, and other things.</p>
<p>"We hope these updates improve your experience. Protecting people’s information and providing meaningful privacy controls are at the core of everything we do, and we believe today’s announcement is an important step," Facebook said. "We look forward to hearing people’s feedback and continuing to build the trust people have in Facebook."</p>
<p>The information is available in 36 languages. In addition, Facebook is giving users until November 20 to review and provide comments on the proposed changes before sharing its final updates. You can offer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id=541939745937896" target="_blank">feedback here</a>.</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_updates_privacy_policy_using_plain_language_2014#commentsfacebookPrivacyprivacy basicssocial networkNewsThu, 13 Nov 2014 17:56:29 +0000Paul Lilly28902 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook Sees 1 Billion Daily Video Views, New Features Coming Soonhttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_sees_1_billion_daily_video_views_new_features_coming_soon_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/facebook_videos.jpg" alt="Facebook Video" title="Facebook Video" width="228" height="206" style="float: right;" />Facebook is turning its attention to videos</h3>
<p>The world's largest social playground is also becoming a popular hangout to watch videos. According to Fidji Simo, <strong>Facebook's</strong> Project Management Director of Video, the social network has <strong>been averaging over 1 billion video views on a daily basis since June</strong>. The majority of those video views are coming across mobile devices -- more than 65 percent, and that number could get higher since video on Facebook was built to be mobile first.</p>
<p>With so many video views occurring on a daily basis, it makes sense that Facebook is devoting resources making videos a more important part of the social experience. For example, there's an updated rolling out this week that will allow people to see how many views a video on Facebook has received. These views will be displayed on public posts from people and Pages to help users discover new and popular clips.</p>
<p>"Video is one of the most engaging and immersive ways to tell your story. Whether capturing breaking news, a baby’s first steps, or rising to a friend’s challenge for charity, it is a remarkable storytelling medium," <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/09/the-latest-on-facebook-video/" target="_blank">Simo says</a>. "Video uploaded directly to Facebook is an increasingly important part of News Feed, and more people than ever before are sharing, discovering, and engaging with videos that they care about."</p>
<p>There are other features in the pipeline too, some of which will roll out slowly so that Facebook can gauge user feedback and tweak the final result. Last year that included the auto-play feature -- videos start playing automatically as you scroll through your feed -- and one that's currently being tested is a feature that when a user finishes watching a video, he or she may be shown additional related videos.</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_sees_1_billion_daily_video_views_new_features_coming_soon_2014#commentsfacebooksocial networkvideosNewsMon, 08 Sep 2014 15:29:23 +0000Paul Lilly28493 at http://www.maximumpc.comLeap Motion Controller Mount for Oculus Rift Now Availablehttp://www.maximumpc.com/leap_motion_controller_mount_oculus_rift_now_available675
<!--paging_filter--><h3>Company is also working on embeddable “mega sensor” for future VR headsets</h3>
<p>Palmer Luckey, the creator of the Oculus Rift virtual reality head-mounted display (HMD), recently told <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-08-28-oculus-vr-finding-the-holodeck-solution" target="_blank">GamesIndustry International</a> that VR may not become mainstream for quite some time to come. One of the things currently holding VR back, per Luckey, is the use of traditional controllers, which he feels are far from ideal for VR. However, as we wait for the ideal VR input to materialize, <strong>the list of controller alternatives for VR aficionados to experiment with keeps on growing. The latest addition to it is the Leap Motion Controller.<br /></strong></p>
<p>Leap Motion, Inc. has introduced a Leap Motion controller mount for the Oculus Rift. Called the <a href="http://store-world.leapmotion.com/" target="_blank">VR Developer Mount</a>, this $20 contraption allows the company’s eponymous motion-sensing camera to snap onto the Oculus Rift. </p>
<p>“If virtual reality is to be anything like actual reality, we believe that fast, accurate, and robust hand tracking will be absolutely essential,” the company’s CTO David Holz said in a <a href="http://blog.leapmotion.com/leap-motion-sets-a-course-for-vr/" target="_blank">blog post</a> Thursday. “We believe in the concept of other specialized controllers as well, but our hands themselves are the fundamental and universal human input device.”</p>
<p>The VR Developer Mount will help developers make the most of a new API that for the first time gives them access to raw infrared from the Leap Motion Controller: “When mounted directly onto a head-worn display, these [infrared] images become stereoscopic windows into the world around you. What it sees, you see.”</p>
<p>“This expands the tracking space to be in any direction you’re facing. You can reach forward, turn around, look up and down, and the tracking follows you wherever you go. Because our device’s field of view exceeds that of existing VR displays, you’ll find it can start to track your hands before you even see them.”</p>
<p>Holz also revealed that the company is working on a next-generation “mega sensor” that will be offered directly to VR OEMs for embedding in their HMDs. Codenamed “Dragonfly”, the new sensor will come with “greater-than-HD image resolution, color and infrared imagery, and a significantly larger field of view.”</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3ATQG9mnm34" width="620" height="340" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/leap_motion_controller_mount_oculus_rift_now_available675#commentscontrollerfacebookHardwarehmdleap motion controlleroculus riftoculus vrPalmer Luckeyvr developer mountvr headsetvr inputNewsMon, 01 Sep 2014 03:37:49 +0000Pulkit Chandna28453 at http://www.maximumpc.comWhatsApp Continues to Grow After Facebook Acquisition, Hits 600 Million Users http://www.maximumpc.com/whatsapp_continues_grow_after_facebook_acquisition_hits_600_million_users_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3>Facebook acquisition doesn’t seem to have slowed the app down</h3>
<p><img src="/files/u166440/whatsapp.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp Logo" title="WhatsApp Logo" width="200" height="126" style="float: right;" />Back in February Facebook spent <a title="MPC Facebook acquires WhatsApp" href="http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_gobbles_whatsapp_messaging_service_16_billion2014" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">$19 billion</span></a> to acquire messaging service WhatsApp. Since then, its user base has continued to increase at an impressive rate. WhatsApp Inc founder and ceo Jan Koum announced on his <a title="Koum Twitter Account" href="https://twitter.com/jankoum/statuses/503725598414368768" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Twitter account</span></a> that <strong>WhatsApp has reached 600 million monthly active users</strong>.</p>
<p>Koum’s tweet reads, “Now serving 600,000,000 monthly active users. Yes, active and registered are very different types of number.” This means that the user base has grown by 100 million since April when it was revealed that there were 500 million users. Other data for that time period included a daily record of 64 billion messages that had been handed within 24 hours. Of that, 20 billion were sent and 44 billion were received by users.&nbsp;</p>
<p>What will be interesting to see is if, and when, Facebook’s $19 billion investment will pay off. WhatsApp lets consumers use its service freely for one year. But when that year of service has ended, they are charged $1 per year to keep using it. Unfortunately, we don’t know how many people are actually paying for the service at this point or how many continue to use the service when their free period is up.</p>
<p>Despite such a large user base, is it enough to charge $1 a year and will Facebook make back its money? Sound off in the comments below!</p>
<p><em>Follow Sean on&nbsp;<a title="SeanDKnight Google+" href="https://plus.google.com/+SeanKnightD?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Google+</span></a>, <a title="SeanDKnight's Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/SeanDKnight" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Twitter</span></a>, and <a title="SeanDKnight Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/seandknight" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Facebook</span></a></em></p>
http://www.maximumpc.com/whatsapp_continues_grow_after_facebook_acquisition_hits_600_million_users_2014#comments600 million usersfacebookJan KoumwhatsappWhatsApp 600 million usersNewsTue, 26 Aug 2014 00:00:30 +0000Sean D Knight28416 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook Extends Bug Bounty Program to Oculus Rifthttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_extends_bug_bounty_program_oculus_rift_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/oculus_rift_4.jpg" alt="Oculus Rift" title="Oculus Rift" width="228" height="164" style="float: right;" />Get paid to root out bugs in Oculus Rift</h3>
<p>The concept of a bug bounty program is nothing new, and even Facebook will line your pockets with cash if you discover a qualifying security vulnerability in the social network or select acquisitions it's made. Until now, however Oculus Rift was exempt. <strong>Facebook has now extended its bug bounty program to Oculus Rift</strong>, which joins other Facebook acquisitions such as Instagram, Parse, Onavo, and Moves.</p>
<p>Bounties are awarded at the discretion of Facebook's bug bounty team. Should yours qualify, the minimum reward you're receive is $500. On the flip side, there is no maximum reward, and the more severe and creative the bug, the higher the bounty will be, according to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whitehat" target="_blank">Facebook's bug bounty page</a>.</p>
<p>Though this is Facebook's first hardware device, Facebook security engineer Neal Poole tells <em>The Verge</em> that at present, the majority of bugs related to Oculus Rift are in the message system for Oculus developers and parts of the website. As a result, the bugs are similar to the ones found in the social network.</p>
<p>"A lot of the issues that come up with Oculus are not necessarily in the hardware yet," <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/20/6004113/facebook-will-now-pay-you-money-to-find-bugs-in-the-oculus-rift" target="_blank">Poole says</a>. "Potentially in the future, if people were to go explore and find issues in the SDK or the hardware, that is definitely of interest to us."</p>
<p>Image Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sergesegal/9084799176" target="_blank">Flickr (Sergey Galyonkin)</a></p>
<p><em>Follow Paul on <a href="https://plus.google.com/+PaulLilly?rel=author" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/paul_b_lilly" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Paul.B.Lilly" target="_blank">Facebook</a></em></p>
http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_extends_bug_bounty_program_oculus_rift_2014#commentsbugsfacebookoculus riftSecuritySocial NetworkingSoftwarevirtual realityvrwearablesNewsThu, 21 Aug 2014 17:32:07 +0000Paul Lilly28391 at http://www.maximumpc.comStrong Quarter Sends Facebook Stock to Record Highhttp://www.maximumpc.com/strong_quarter_sends_facebook_stock_record_high_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/facebook_window.jpg" alt="Facebook Window" title="Facebook Window" width="228" height="171" style="float: right;" />"We had a good second quarter." - Mark Zuckerberg with the understatement of the year</h3>
<p>It took a bit of time for Facebook to gain some traction in the stock market after filing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) a little over two years ago, but it certainly appears the world's most popular social network has found its stride. Leaving little doubt of that, <strong>Facebook sprinted past analysts' expectations by reporting $2.9 billion in revenue</strong> for its fiscal second quarter ended June 20, 2014.</p>
<p>That's a massive 61 percent jump from the $1.8 billion in revenue Facebook collected in the same quarter a year prior. Revenue from advertising was $2.68 billion, up 67 percent from last year. This was driven primarily by mobile, which accounted for 62 percent of Facebook's advertising revenue, up from about 41 percent a year ago.</p>
<p>"We had a good second quarter," <a href="http://investor.fb.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=861599" target="_blank">said Mark Zuckerberg</a>, founder and CEO. "Our community has continued to grow, and we see a lot of opportunity ahead as we connect the rest of the world."</p>
<p>All these figures translated into a profit of $791 million, up 138 percent compared to $333 million in Q2 of last year. As you might expect, investors reacted positively to the news -- Facebook's share price is hovering around $76 and change, up more than 7 percent. It's market capitalization is around $195.61 billion (at the time of this writing), just a little shy of IBM, which is the fourth most valuable tech firm in the U.S.</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/strong_quarter_sends_facebook_stock_record_high_2014#commentsfacebookrevenuesocial networkstockNewsThu, 24 Jul 2014 16:01:46 +0000Paul Lilly28229 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook May Have Secretly Messed with Your Head for Sciencehttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_may_have_secretly_messed_your_head_science_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/facebook_1.jpg" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook" width="228" height="128" style="float: right;" />Not cool, Facebook</h3>
<p>Ever wondered how social networks can impact your emotions? So did a Facebook data scientist and two other researchers who conducted a study that was recently published by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). <strong>Facebook's controversial study has drawn outrage from many of the site's members</strong> because it played with people's emotions without their knowledge or consent.</p>
<p>The study was conducted over a one-week period in 2012 and included about 689,000 unwitting participants. What the researchers wanted to find out is "whether exposure to emotional content led people to post content that was consistent with the exposure -- thereby testing whether exposure to verbal affective expressions leads to similar verbal expressions, a form of emotional contagion," according to an excerpt from the study, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/06/30/facebook-study/11756525/" target="_blank"><em>USA Today</em> reports</a>.</p>
<p>Sure enough, the study discovered that users with less postive content in their news feed used more negative words in their status updates. According to James Grimmelmann, a law professor at the University of Maryland, one of the experimental groups had positive words like "love" and "nice" filtered out of their news feeds.</p>
<p>"This, however, was not an observational study. It was an experimental study—indeed, a randomized controlled trial—in which participants were treated differently. We wouldn’t tell patients in a drug trial that the study was harmless because only a computer would ever know whether they received the placebo," Grimmelmann states in a <a href="http://laboratorium.net/archive/2014/06/28/as_flies_to_wanton_boys" target="_blank">blog post</a>. "The unwitting participants in the Facebook study were told (seemingly by their friends) for a week either that the world was a dark and cheerless place or that it was a saccharine paradise. That’s psychological manipulation, even when it’s carried out automatically. This is bad, even for Facebook."</p>
<p>The fallout from the study prompted one of it's co-authors to offer additional insight into why it was conducted, and an apology to those angered by it.</p>
<p>"The goal of all of our research at Facebook is to learn how to provide a better service. Having written and designed this experiment myself, I can tell you that our goal was never to upset anyone," study co-author Adam Kramer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akramer/posts/10152987150867796" target="_blank">wrote on Facebook</a>. "I can understand why some people have concerns about it, and my co-authors and I are very sorry for the way the paper described the research and any anxiety it caused. In hindsight, the research benefits of the paper may not have justified all of this anxiety."</p>
<p><em>Follow Paul on <a href="https://plus.google.com/+PaulLilly?rel=author" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/paul_b_lilly" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Paul.B.Lilly" target="_blank">Facebook</a></em></p>
http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_may_have_secretly_messed_your_head_science_2014#commentsfacebookPrivacypsychologysocial networkstudyNewsMon, 30 Jun 2014 15:33:21 +0000Paul Lilly28091 at http://www.maximumpc.comChuck E. Cheese Plans to Party with Oculus Rift in Select Areashttp://www.maximumpc.com/chuck_e_cheese_plans_party_oculus_rift_select_areas_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/oculus_chuckcheese.jpg" alt="Oculus Rift Chuck E. Cheese" title="Oculus Rift Chuck E. Cheese" width="228" height="136" style="float: right;" />Oculus Rift will virtualize the ticket blaster experience</h3>
<p>If you've ever been to a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party before, then you're familiar with the Ticket Blaster -- a phone booth sized contraption filled with single tickets, plus a special 1,000 ticket piece of paper. The kid celebrating his or her birthday gets to slip inside and try to grab as many tickets as possible as a vortex of wind swirls them around. Kids love it, but at select locations, <strong>Chuck E. Cheese will create a virtual Ticket Blaster experience using the Oculus Rift</strong>.</p>
<p>"Kids today have unprecedented access to game consoles and tablets," <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chuck-e-cheeses-introduces-oculus-rift-for-birthday-parties-in-select-markets-2014-05-20" target="_blank">said Roger Cardinale</a>, president, CEC Entertainment, Inc. "Our challenge is to deliver an experience not available at home, and there is no doubt virtual reality does just that. Oculus Rift technology is the next frontier in the gaming industry, and we're thrilled to be able to say it's part of the Chuck E. Cheese's lineup."</p>
<p>The Oculus Rift VR headset will register how many tickets the kid collects as they spin a full 360 degrees. Users are supposed to feel like they're in the machine, though whether it's successful or not remains to be seen -- Chuck E. Cheese will test the technology at more than 15 locations for a period of six weeks.</p>
<p>"We believe that virtual reality eventually will be as popular as our handheld devices," said Reel FX founder and Executive Creative Director Dale Carman. "It's a game-changer, and we're investing incredible time and talent into developing content for the Oculus Rift."</p>
<p>This isn't exactly the kind of thing we had hoped for when <a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_acquire_oculus_rift_developer_2_billion_2014">Facebook acquired Oculus Rift</a> for $2 billion back in March, but hey, it's better than virtual Candy Crush, right? Right!?</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/chuck_e_cheese_plans_party_oculus_rift_select_areas_2014#commentschuck e. cheesefacebookGamingoculus rifttechnologyvirtual realityvrNewsTue, 20 May 2014 17:48:57 +0000Paul Lilly27843 at http://www.maximumpc.comFacebook Begins Rolling Out ‘Nearby Friends’, Plans to Sell Data to Advertisershttp://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_begins_rolling_out_%E2%80%98nearby_friends%E2%80%99_plans_sell_data_advertisers
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u46168/nearby_friends.png" alt="Facebook Nearby Friends" title="Facebook Nearby Friends" width="228" height="128" style="float: right;" /></h3>
<h3>New location-sharing feature is optional</h3>
<p>Facebook recently announced the <strong>addition of a new feature called Nearby Friends to its Android and iOS apps</strong>. No prizes for guessing that the new feature, which is thankfully optional, lets Facebook users discover friends who are nearby.</p>
<p>Currently being rolled out to Facebook for Android and iOS users in the States, it remains turned off by default. You will need a bit more than merely turning it on to make the most of Nearby Friends, though.</p>
<p>“Sharing your location with Nearby Friends goes two ways — you and your friends both have to turn on Nearby Friends and choose to share with each other to see when you’re nearby,” Facebook said in a <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/04/introducing-a-new-optional-feature-called-nearby-friends/" target="_blank">news release</a> Thursday. “Your friends will only be able to see that you’re nearby if you share this info with them and vice versa.”</p>
<p>Although many see this feature as facilitating greater offline interaction among Facebook friends, there is no dearth of those who are <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-abrahams/facebooks-nearby-friends_b_5179044.html" target="_blank">not entirely comfortable with the idea of letting Facebook keep track of their every move.</a></p>
<p>According to an in-app description of the Location History option — something that needs to be enabled in order for Nearby Friends to work — Facebook does this by “building a history of your precise location, even when you’re not using the app.” But why is it building this history in the first place?</p>
<p>When TechCrunch’s Josh Constine questioned the social networking site on <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/18/facebook-location-advertising/" target="_blank">the real purpose of preserving the user’s location history</a>, the company replied saying that although “at this time it’s not being used for advertising or marketing, but in the future it will be.”</p>
<p>While it is possible for you to clear your Facebook location history, it does not appear to be something Facebook would like you to do: “Location History helps us know when it makes the most sense to notify you (for example, by making sure we don’t send you a notification every time a Facebook friend who works with you is also in the office).”</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_begins_rolling_out_%E2%80%98nearby_friends%E2%80%99_plans_sell_data_advertisers#commentsfacebooklocation trackingnearby friendsPrivacyNewsMon, 21 Apr 2014 04:46:45 +0000Pulkit Chandna27664 at http://www.maximumpc.comPAX East 2014: Interview With Oculus VR Founder Palmer Luckey [Video]http://www.maximumpc.com/pax_east_2014_interview_oculus_vr_founder_palmer_luckey_video
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u166440/palmer_luckey_001.jpg" alt="Palmer Luckey 001" title="Palmer Luckey 001" width="200" height="169" style="float: right;" />“Facebook gives us the resources we need to develop a lot of custom hardware.”</h3>
<p>Maximum PC’s <strong>J<strong>i</strong></strong><strong>mmy Thang caught up with Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey to talk about the Oculus Rift at this year’s PAX East.</strong> A very tired Luckey talked about the potential for virtual reality technology to replace TVs and monitors and even the <a title="MPC Facebook Acquires Oculus" href="http://www.maximumpc.com/facebook_acquire_oculus_rift_developer_2_billion_2014" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">acquisition by Facebook</span></a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the first segment of the interview, to put it briefly, Luckey talked about how the commoditization of VR tech would bring about a much cheaper product that could replace TVs and monitors. This could happen once the VR tech “can reach the pixel density of a real monitor, looking straight forward.”&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uBkSOia_oWc" width="620" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>As for Facebook, Jimmy brought up a point that the social media company could provide the capital needed for the Oculus team to build its own hardware. Luckey explained that, prior to the deal, the team was “relying a lot on the scraps of the mobile phone industry.” An industry, Luckey pointed out, that doesn’t need high refresh rates or low latency.</p>
<p>He added, “Facebook gives us the resources we need to develop a lot of custom hardware that uses the same kind of base technologies of a lot of mobile hardware. But also optimize it and make it better for VR.”</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5U6Q2u6t0Mc" width="620" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Luckey also said, which wasn't captured on video, that Facebook is letting the Oculus team be completely autonomous. He went on to confirm that consumers will not need to use Facebook in order to use the Oculus Rft, that there will be no Facebook branding, and that the team won’t change their open SDK.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift, Luckey wouldn’t go into specifics but did say that it will have a refresh rate of 90Hz or more and be higher than 1080p. No price or release date for the consumer product was provided.</p>
<p>Watch both videos for the full interview and tell us what you think of Luckey's opinion that VR tech could replace TVs and monitors.</p>
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http://www.maximumpc.com/pax_east_2014_interview_oculus_vr_founder_palmer_luckey_video#commentsfacebookoculusoculus riftoculus vrPalmer Luckeyvirtual realityVR techNewsSat, 12 Apr 2014 21:59:40 +0000Sean D Knight and Jimmy Thang27615 at http://www.maximumpc.comTwitter Follows in Facebook's Footsteps, Revamps User Profileshttp://www.maximumpc.com/twitter_follows_facebooks_footsteps_revamps_user_profiles_2014
<!--paging_filter--><h3><img src="/files/u69/twitter_profile.jpg" alt="Twitter Profile" title="Twitter Profile" width="228" height="182" style="float: right;" /></h3>
<h3>Spice up your Twitter profile with pictures</h3>
<p>If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, Facebook must be all shades of red from blushing. <strong>Twitter on Tuesday announced a whole new user profile</strong>, and the comparisons to Facebook's profile are inevitable. Comparison to its rival aside, the much needed revamp allows Twitter users to build a much more attractive profile by uploading a larger profile photo and and a customized header image.</p>
<p>The revamped profile goes beyond pictures and highlights your best tweets -- posts that received the most engagement will appear slightly larger so that they stand out. You can also pin tweets that you're particularly proud of to the top of your page and choose which timeline to view when checking out other profiles.</p>
<p>Twitter has already begun rolling out the new profile layout and options to a "small group of users." Likewise, new users will see the updated profile option as well. For everyone else, <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2014/coming-soon-a-whole-new-you-in-your-twitter-profile" target="_blank">Twitter says</a> it will continue to roll out the new features in the coming weeks.</p>
<p><em>Follow Paul on <a href="https://plus.google.com/+PaulLilly?rel=author" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/paul_b_lilly" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Paul.B.Lilly" target="_blank">Facebook</a></em></p>
http://www.maximumpc.com/twitter_follows_facebooks_footsteps_revamps_user_profiles_2014#commentsfacebookonlineSocial NetworkingtwitterNewsTue, 08 Apr 2014 15:54:35 +0000Paul Lilly27586 at http://www.maximumpc.com